Jonathan Reiner, who served as former Vice President Dick Cheney's cardiologist for 27 years, warns in a New York Times op-ed about visible health issues affecting the president and calls for the establishment of an independent commission.
Jonathan Reiner, a cardiologist who managed the health of former U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney for 27 years, expressed serious doubts about President Donald Trump's health in a New York Times op-ed on August 13, 2026. According to the Italian news agency ANSA, Reiner points out that despite the White House's assurances, the president has not looked well over the past year.
The warning comes at a time when the public is again questioning whether the nation's leader is fit to serve. Reiner, who emphasizes that he is not Trump's physician and has only reviewed the publicly released medical records, cites a number of physical issues that are easily visible in photographs.
"Mr. Trump is likely the most photographed president in American history, and several physical problems are readily apparent. He has had large bruises on both arms, swelling in his legs, and moments when he appeared to struggle to stay awake," Reiner wrote in the piece carried by ANSA.
The cardiologist further warns that Trump has undergone advanced diagnostic testing. La Repubblica, citing the same op-ed, reports that these included heart and abdominal scans, and Reiner's assessment that the released medical records raise numerous questions.
Reiner pays particular attention to a recent report on the president's health, which states that as many as 22 consultants evaluated him. "Why were so many doctors called in, and what were their specialties?" Reiner asks, noting that this is an exceptionally high number of specialists even for the most thorough assessment of an executive's health.
He believes that not every detail about the president's health needs to be disclosed, but he reminds readers of a constitutional mechanism that offers a solution. "The 25th Amendment to the Constitution offers the best solution to this problem: it allows Congress to establish a commission outside the executive branch to assess the president's health and fitness," Reiner concludes in the New York Times piece. He characterizes the lack of a formal requirement for the president to confirm his fitness as a mistake.
The op-ed by the former Cheney cardiologist was published on August 13, 2026, and was picked up by Italian news agency ANSA and the newspaper La Repubblica.
